Cisco Certified Network Consultants

Cisco has developed an extensive catalog of wireless networking products and software tools engineered to enable continual connections to data and other resources and to facilitate teamwork among employees, partners, suppliers, and customers. Cisco's wireless offerings include the Small Business, Aironet and Meraki series of access points (APs), as well as Cisco's Wireless Network Controller plug-ins and appliances. Progent's Cisco-certified wireless consultants can help businesses of any size to deploy Cisco wireless technology to accommodate the new model of Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD) computing by integrating their wired/wireless networks to achieve simplified configuration, predictable performance, single-point management, uniform policy enforcement, fault tolerance, and across-the-board protection.

Cisco's Unified Wireless solution can scale to up to 18,000 wireless access points with Layer 3 mobility across local or remote locations such as business headquarters, college auditoriums, branches, and telecommuter homes. Cisco's Wi-Fi APs and wireless controllers are part of Cisco's Unified Wireless Network and are engineered to support the same level of protection, performance, and ease of management for WLANs that businesses expect in their wired infrastructure. Cisco's technology includes built-in mobility services such as VoIP, IP video, and safe guest access. Cisco's Unified Wireless Network solution allows companies to create Wi-Fi ecosystems that streamline the way they work and enhance productivity through a mobile and connected employee base.

Progent's Cisco-certified network consulting services offers online or onsite support to assist you to design, deploy, manage, expand, and repair converged wired/wireless networks of any size and for any environment. Also, Progent offers economical remote and on-premises Wi-Fi site surveys to assist you to plan and deploy a Wi-Fi LAN with custom-designed AP clustering optimized for your specific work area layout, building structure, and intended application.

Cisco Small Business, Aironet and Meraki Access Points (APs)
Cisco's Small Business, Aironet and Meraki families of APs allow businesses to converge wired and wireless infrastructure to provide the accessibility, density, throughput, protection and ease of management needed to support practically any scenario. These APs range from entry-level, single-radio 802.11b/g/n units with data rates of 300 Mb for small businesses or home offices to dual-band 802.11ac access points capable of supporting hundreds of wireless clients per access point and delivering data rates as high as 1.9 Gb. Cisco's latest selection of APs can be clustered to provide the scale to handle wireless networks with high client density and with a high incidence of video-intense applications.

Cisco Small Business Series of Access Points
Cisco's Small Business Family of wireless access points are Linux-based devices designed as value-priced 802.11n Wi-Fi solutions for small offices. Many models in the Cisco Small Business portfolio of wireless access points work with Cisco's Single Point Setup system, which makes it possible to configure, control and troubleshoot a group of access points from a single AP through a simple web browser interface. All models support POE and feature QoS, rogue AP detection, and bridging for connecting to another Ethernet LAN.

Cisco's Small Business WAP121 Wireless-N AP is a wallmount, single-band 2.4GHz unit that can handle 16 802.11b/g/n clients, has a Fast Ethernet interface, permits up to 4 access pointss and 40 active clients per cluster, and supports throughput of up to 300 Mbps. The Cisco WAP131 is a desktop dual-band 2.4/5 GHz 802.11a/b/g/n access point that can handle 16 wireless clients per radio for a total of up to 32 clients, features a 10/100/1000 Ethernet LAN interface, and delivers sustained data rates of up to 300 Mbps for each radio. The WAP131 Wireless-N does not support clustering. Cisco's Small Business WAP150 is a general-purpose dual-radio 802.11ac/n access point that includes a one Gbit Power over Ethernet port and can handle up to 16 clients per radio with 867 Mbps performance for AC clients and 300 Mbps for 802.11n devices. Cisco's WAP1501 supports four APs per cluster.

The Cisco Small Business WAP321 Wireless-N model is a wallmount single-band (2.4 or 5 GHz) 802.11a/b/g/n unit with support for 80 active wireless clients in an 8-device cluster. The Cisco WAP321 includes a Gigabit Ethernet port and can support sustained throughput of 300 Mbps for the activated radio. The Cisco Small Business WAP351 is a dual-band 2.4/5 GHz 802.11a/b/g/n AP that includes a 5-port Gigabit Ethernet switch and can handle 32 wireless clients per radio for up to 64 active clients, and support sustained throughput of 300 Mbps per radio. The WAP351 AP does not support clustering. The Cisco Small Business WAP361 is a dual-radio 802.11ac AP that includes a 5 x Gb Ethernet switch, can support 32 active WLAN clients per radio, and offers 867 Mbps performance for wireless AC clients and 300 Mbps performance for 802.11n devices. Cisco's Small Business WAP361 supports eight access points for each cluster. Cisco's wallmount Small Business WAP371 Wireless-AC/N is a dual-radio device that works with 802.11a/b/g/n and the new 802.11ac wireless networking standard. The WAP371 includes a Gigabit Ethernet interface, can handle up to 32 active wireless clients per radio, and eight APs per cluster.

The Cisco WAP561 Wireless-N Dual Radio Selectable Band access point includes a Gigabit Ethernet LAN interface and two concurrent radios that deliver 450 Mbps performance for each radio, support 64 clients per radio, and allow up to 16 access points per cluster. Cisco's WAP551 is like the WAP 561 but features a single radio selectable band. The Cisco WAP571 and WAP571E (the weather-proof outside model) are dual-radio Wireless-AC/N access points that feature 2 x GE ports with link aggregation, 3x3 MIMO, and up to 1.9 Gbps performance with 1300 Mbps on 11ac and 600 Mbps over 11n. Both units support 32 clients per radio and 16 WAP371 wireless access points on each cluster.

The Aironet Family of Wireless Access Points
Cisco's Aironet family of wireless APs has consistently been the market leading access point product. Aironet access points run the gamut from value priced models to advanced APs. The Aironet family cover several generations of devices compliant with the continually improving Wi-Fi specification. Cisco's latest line of Aironet APs support Cisco's Unified Wireless Network architecture and come with 802.11ac Wi-Fi support, which delivers triple the speed plus superior coverage and user density compared to the prior generation of APs. Cisco's latest dual-band Aironet access points can accommodate 802.11n at 2.4 GHz for clients that do not have 802.11ac radios.

The earliest Aironet APs are now outdated units that have reached end-of-sale status and are not fully supported by Cisco. Progent continues to provide technical support for the entire Aironet family of APs and can help you to maintain your existing Aironet Wi-Fi system or upgrade smoothly to current Aironet technology. To find out more about Progent's consulting services for both current and outdated Aironet wireless access points, refer to Cisco Aironet access points consulting services.

Meraki Wireless Access Points
Cisco's portfolio of Meraki 2.4/5 GHz indoor APs include budget-friendly models for small businesses to enterprise-class units supporting as high as 2.5 Gbit/sec throughput. Each Meraki indoor AP provides next-generation features such as self-configuring plug-and-play deployment, in-depth protection, BYOD support, built-in traffic analysis, zero-touch over-the-web updates, and centralized cloud-based management via an intuitive dashboard. Each Meraki indoor access point also includes dual high-power client-serving radios with boosted receive sensitivity as well as a dedicated radio that offers intrusion detection and prevention system (WIDS/WIPS) security for RF analysis and deep packet inspection at line rate.

Meraki outdoor APs are IP67 certified, built to operate in harsh outdoor conditions, and able to resist dust, vibration and moisture. Cisco's Meraki outdoor wireless access points include a Gigabit Ethernet port and deliver advanced capabilities such as cloud management with multi-site visibility and control, native Active Directory integration, built-in antivirus scan (NAC), single-click secure guest access and guest isolation firewall, application-aware traffic shaping, plus auto-configuring mesh with MIMO and beamforming. For details about Progent's consulting services for Cisco's Meraki APs and management, see Cisco's Meraki access points consulting.

Cisco Wave 2 802.11ac WiFi Network Controllers
Cisco Wave 2 wireless controllers enable realtime communication, deployment, management, analysis and troubleshooting for Cisco wireless appliances and software services. Cisco has developed both hardware and software-based wireless controllers for centralized administration of WiFi networks, but networks with a large number of wireless access points typically require physical Wi-Fi controllers. Wave 2 wireless controller appliances from Cisco offer significant benefits in comparison to Wave 1 and earlier products such as greater throughput, simultaneous support for both 1G and 10G Ethernet, improved application visibility and control (AVC), and advanced, built-in protection.

Cisco's 3504 Wireless Controller is an entry-level device available in a desktop enclosure and intended for small and medium-sized businesses. You can install the 3504 model in a centralized network environment such as in small branch and remote offices administered over the wide-area network via Cisco FlexConnect, or in mesh installations where Ethernet cabling is sparse. The 3504 Wi-Fi controller can handle as many as 150 access points and 3,000 client users, offers 4 Gbps performance, and supports up to 4,096 VLANs. Cisco's 3504 WiFi controller features a Cisco Multigigabit port (up to 5 Gigabit Ethernet) and four 1-GB Ethernet interfaces. APs can be connected directly to the WiFi controller via two Power over Ethernet (PoE) ports. The 3504 Wi-Fi controller offers subsecond failover for APs and users, which allows high availability for applications. As with other Wave 2 Wi-Fi controllers from Cisco, the 3504 device has the integrated ability to work with Cisco Prime Infrastructure, Cisco Mobility Services Engine, and Cisco 5520 and 8540 wireless controllers.

The Cisco 5520 WiFi Controller, available in a 1 rack unit (RU) form factor, is intended to support midsize to large organizations and campus environments and can be used in centralized, distributed, and mesh architectures. The 5520 wireless controller can handle up to 1,500 wireless APs and 20,000 clients, offers 20 Gbps throughput, and supports up to 4,096 VLANs. The 5520 wireless controller features two 10 GE ports and features solid-state storage, redundant fans, optional backup power supplies, and subsecond failover for nonstop availability.

Cisco's 8540 Wireless Controller, available in a 2 rack unit form factor, is a high-end WiFi controller intended to support enterprises, service providers, and large campus environments. The 8540 Wireless controller can be run in centralized, distributed, and mesh architectures and can handle up to 6,000 access points and 64,000 clients. The 8540 WiFi controller offers data rates as high as 40 Gbps and supports up to 4,096 VLANs. The 8340 comes with four 1-GB or 10GE ports and features solid-state storage, backup power supplies, backup fans, and subsecond failover.

Wave 1 Cisco Wireless LAN Controllers
Cisco wireless LAN controllers reduce the time and cost needed to deploy, monitor, and operate Wi-Fi networks by offering single-point control of critical tasks such as provisioning wireless access points, applying consistent policies throughout converged wired/wireless networks, supporting enterprise-wide Quality of Service for IP voice and video, tracking and troubleshooting network health, implementing intrusion prevention tools to guard against unauthorized access and DoS attacks, and managing IPv6 clients. Cisco has developed wireless LAN controllers for businesses of all sizes and offers standalone desktop controllers, modular add-on wireless controllers for Cisco routers and switches, and switches with built-in wireless network controllers.

Cisco's Wave 1 WiFi network controllers include Cisco CleanAir tools to avoid RF interference and produce self-healing and self-optimizing wireless LANs for top 802.11n and 802.11ac throughput and protection. Built-in Apple Bonjour Gateways allow discovery and policy throughout WLAN, LAN and WAN for Apple-based applications. For high availability (HA), Cisco wireless network controllers support access point and client stateful switchover by permitting a standby HA wireless controller to synch with a main controller for AP license count, CAPWAP keys, and access point CAPWAP state. In case the primary controller stops working, thousands of wireless access points and wireless clients can switchover in less than a second to the backup wireless controller.

Cisco's Wireless Controller Module for ISR Routers with UCS-E offers entry-level 802.11n and 802.11ac support for 2900 and 3900 routers used by smaller businesses and branches. This affordable and scalable module can handle up to 200 access points and as many as 6000 clients. (To find out about Progent's online and onsite consulting and troubleshooting support for Cisco routers, refer to Cisco router deployment and troubleshooting services.)

Cisco Catalyst 3650 Series are 1RU form-factor switches intended for small to mid-size businesses and branches and features an integrated wireless LAN controller with the ability to support 40 Gb of wireless throughput per switch and up to 25 APs and 1000 wireless clients on each switch or stack. Cisco Catalyst 3850 Series are 1RU switches designed for mid-size and large organizations and feature a built-in wireless network controller supporting up to 40 Gb of wireless throughput per switch and support for 50 wireless access points and up to 2000 clients. The Wireless Services Module2 is a plug-in blade for Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series switches that include an integrated wireless LAN controller intended for mid-to-large size businesses and able to deliver 20 Gbps throughput and able to handle up to 1000 APs and as many as 15,000 clients. (To find out concerning Progent's support for Catalyst switches, see Cisco switches configuration and management support.)

Cisco 2500 Series Wireless Controllers are value-priced desktop units that simplify the provisioning and operation of Wi-Fi networks for SMBs and branch offices. The 2500 Series wireless LAN controller can handle 5 to 75 APs and up to 1000 clients and can deliver sustained data rates of 1 Gbps.

Cisco's 5500 Series Wireless Controller is an expandable 1RU appliance designed for medium-sized to large enterprises and campus environments and can support 500 access points and 7,000 wireless clients while providing 8 Gbps performance. The Cisco 5760 Series Wireless Controller is a 1RU appliance designed for mid-to-large campus environments with the ability to manage up to 1000 wireless access points and 12,000 clients and offering performance of 60 Gbps to handle high wireless client densities and high amounts of video-intensive applications.

The Cisco Flex 7500 Series Wireless Controller is intended to manage thousands of wireless remote sites from one location, eliminating the requirement for a Wi-Fi controller at every branch. The 1RU rackmount Flex 7500 lets you establish a private cloud to deploy, track, manage, and repair as many as 6000 access points and up to 64,000 wireless clients while handling 1 Gbps throughput. Cisco's 8500 Wireless Controller is a 1RU rackmount device engineered to monitor and control wireless networks for very large campuses or for service providers and can scale to handle up to 6000 APs and up to 64,000 clients while delivering 10 Gbps throughput.

For more information about Cisco WiFi controllers, visit Cisco Wi-Fi controllers consulting services.

Legacy Cisco APs, LAN Bridges and Wi-Fi Controllers Supported by Progent
The 802.11ac specification for wireless connectivity virtually made obsolete all prior releases of Wi-Fi devices for many environments that support high numbers of clients and high usage of HD video applications. Even for organizations who do not require the bandwidth efficiency of 802.11ac, many of Cisco wireless products have reached end-of-life status, which can pose serious service and compliance problems. Progent's Cisco-certified consulting experts provide remote and on-premises support for a wide array of earlier-generation wireless products from Cisco. Progent can in addition assist companies to assess the financial justification for updating up-of-date wireless infrastructure and can help in designing and executing cost-effective, non-disruptive migrations. The following are a few of Cisco older-generation wireless products that Progent's consulting experts still support.

Legacy Cisco Aironet Wireless Access Points
Aironet 1000 or 1130AG family access points are designed for offices and similar locations which have little environmental instability. These access points include integrated antennas that offer dependable radio range profiles. The Cisco Aironet 1130G family wireless access point is available for regulated locations that do not allow 802.11a/5GHz operation.

Cisco Aironet 1230AG or 1240AG family wireless access points are intended for more problematic radio frequency environments like factories or above ceiling structures which commonly call for flexible protruding antennas and ruggedized enclosures. The 1240G family product is available for restricted domains that do not permit 802.11a operation.

Cisco Aironet 1500 family lightweight outside mesh LAN access points offer an affordable, expandable, protected outdoor Wi-Fi solution for enterprise campuses and for public sites that need access for mobile phones or computers.

Legacy Cisco Wireless LAN Bridges
Cisco Aironet wireless LAN bridges offer a high-speed and multi-featured technology for integrating multiple local area networks in a metro situation or public wireless network. Cisco Aironet bridges provide a flexible, easy-to-use solution that meets the protection needs of WAN specialists. They support both point-to-point and P2MP configurations with excellent coverage and support for traffic throughput as high as 54 Mbps.

Cisco wireless bridges deliver data rates several times higher than E1/T1 connections for a fraction of the cost, eliminating the requirement for costly leased lines when linking separate offices. Because wireless bridges require no periodic charges, the expenses saved on connection bills rapidly cover the initial equipment investment. Self-installed private lines and in some cases leased lines utilizing metal or optical cable can require high initial expenses when they are separated by obstacles like highways, train tracks, or bodies of water. Cisco Aironet wireless bridges can be deployed quickly with a fast return on investment.

Cisco Aironet 1300 outdoor wireless access points/bridges can be deployed as independent access points, wireless bridges, or wireless group bridges. These products have a ruggedized cover and offer fast, affordable wireless interfaces between multiple fixed or mobile environments and users.

Aironet 1400 family bridges offer fast, dependable outdoor wireless bridging for LOS applications. These devices include a durable enclosure that is optimized for harsh outdoor environments and can function in broad temperature ranges.

Legacy Cisco Wireless Controllers
Cisco Wireless Network Controllers provide single-point management of WLANs by streamlining the handling of common functions such as integrated intrusion prevention system (IPS), real-time RF control, zero touch deployment, and full N+1 redundancy. WLAN controllers operate with lightweight wireless access points to deliver enhanced performance and high-end management capabilities.

WLAN Controllers (WLCs) provide the manageability, scalability, protection, and resilience that network managers require to create secure, enterprise-scale wireless environments, from satellite offices to small businesses to headquarter campuses. Cisco's first-generation Wireless Network Controllers can be clustered to offer support for as many as 2400 WAPs for each roaming domain.

The Cisco WLCM or WLCM-E Module for IS Routers offers small-to medium businesses and large corporations an affordable way to deploy and control secure wireless networks at branch offices. These products supervise as many as 12 Cisco Aironet access points and are installable in Cisco 2800/3800 Series Integrated Services Routers and 3700 Series Routers. (To learn about Progent's remote and on-premises consulting support for Cisco routers, refer to Cisco router configuration and management support.)

How Progent's Consultants Can Help Your Business with Cisco Wireless Devices
Progent can provide a Cisco-certified consultant to assist you to design, install, maintain and repair a converged wired/wireless infrastructure incorporating a broad range of wireless technologies that provide the same security, extensibility, and manageability you demand from your wired network. Progent can help you to support early-generation wireless solutions from Cisco or upgrade seamlessly to current 802.11ac Wi-Fi technology. Progent's CISM and CISSP security professionals can show you how to build protection into your WLAN and your company's operations. Progent's disaster recovery planning consultants and business continuity planners can assist you to deploy the HA features incorporated into Cisco's wireless and wired products so your converged infrastructure delivers non-stop business value.

Progent’s Wi-Fi Site Survey helps you to plan and deploy a robust wireless network customized for your environment, offering a wireless ecosystem that provides comprehensive coverage, high performance and capacity, QoS features to accommodate IP video, advanced security, and streamlined management. Progent's Wireless Site Survey can be performed online to reduce time and expense, or on premises for more complex facilities.

For a further look at Progent's wireless integration capabilities, visit Progent's Wireless Network Consulting Services.

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